Written from the heart and experiences of L. Wayne Smalls, ‘Called To Be A Solider’ personifies the sometimes inaccurate accounts and assumptions made about the personal lives of the nation’s military heroes. Smalls bares all to take readers to the training grounds, onto the battlefields of the Middle East and then all of the way back home – where the fight for a normal life often continues for many years. It’s heartfelt, shocking yet ultimately uplifting.

Fayetteville, NC -- (SBWire) -- 09/30/2014 --Major L. Wayne Smalls is one of thousands of people who have served combat tours in Afghanistan, but he is one of the few to have put the entire experience on paper. In ‘Called To Be A Solider’, his eye-opening new memoir, Smalls shares his inner-most thoughts from before, during and after his tour.

The book starts right at the very beginning, as Smalls spent time preparing for what would ultimately become the last tour of his twenty-two-year military career. He describes the many challenges he faced during his combat deployment, and fully recounts his tumultuous return home where he endured separation, divorce, and retirement from the military.

‘Called To Be A Solider’ also tackles the under-acknowledged transition from the life of a combat Soldier to a veteran’s new civilian life after the military.

“Oftentimes, the emotions that most Soldiers feel are bottled up and manifest themselves in ways that are usually dangerous to themselves and/or the people around them. I was able to channel all of my energy through my writing and explanation of my journey,” explains Smalls. “It was my journey to find inner peace. It was a mission to find out what the purpose of my life was, and how that purpose would manifest itself to me.”

Continuing, “It’s a very intimate account, taking readers right to the very edge of my emotions as I stood on the battlefield and wondered if the life-or-death situations I was about to face would bring me home in a flag-clad casket. It’s a thought that will never run through the mind of most, but one I and my comrades faced every single day.”
Major Smalls also uses the book to educate the public about many things they don’t see on the news.

“We don’t just stroll around sandy villages with our fingers on the safety catch of our firearm. A huge amount of preparation and planning goes into combat deployments and it continues to evolve with each new day. Coupled with the mental journey we all took in Afghanistan, I think the book really brings the ‘hidden’ life of each solider to life,” he adds.

Readers appear to agree, leaving overwhelmingly positive reviews. For example, Lee comments, “Masterfully told story of a soldier’s battle to remain an elite soldier in the U.S. Army as well as becoming a solid soldier for the cause of Christ. L Wayne Smalls has the gift of turning a "story" into a conversation. From the beginning I felt like I was standing next to him through the entire book. Hope he can follow this up with another one, for me, this is a "must have" on my book shelf.”

‘Called To Be A Soldier’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1xq0t0B

ISBN: 978-1-4931-7331-0 (soft copy) $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-4931-7330-3 (hard copy) $29.99
ISBN: 978-1-4931-7328-0 (ecopy) $3.99

Author’s official website: http://amzn.to/1xq0t0B (launching soon).

About L. Wayne Smalls
L. Wayne Smalls is an up and coming writer with a powerful message. He graduated with a B.S. of Business Management from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from Webster University. He is currently a candidate in the Doctorate of Business Administration program with a specialization in Leadership. He is a recently retired Major with over 22 years of service in the United States Army. He now lives in Fayetteville, NC with his wife and children.